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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26708023">Twice the Pull</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/boston_sized_city/pseuds/boston_sized_city'>boston_sized_city</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The AM Archives (Podcast), The Bright Sessions (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant for TBS (Mostly), More tags will be added as it goes on, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, at least for TAMA</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:35:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26708023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/boston_sized_city/pseuds/boston_sized_city</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Caleb Michaels has a new patient with a rare ability that he's only ever seen once before, and they need the help of the only other person he knows who has it.<br/>Good news: They know where to find him. Bad news: It's Damien.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adam Hayes/Caleb Michaels, Alice Michaels &amp; Caleb Michaels, Joan Bright &amp; Caleb Michaels, Joan Bright/Jackson Crawford/Owen Thompson | Agent Green, Mark Bryant/Oliver Ritz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Twice the Pull</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>No CWs for this chapter!</p><p>Mental manipulation is fun to play with and I'm too attached to my own original character to not write about them dealing with having it as an ability.</p><p>I promise the title isn't alluding to anything bad :)) Promise. :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Caleb set the neat stack of papers back on his desk as he heard a knock at the door. “It’s open-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opened almost entirely too fast. Caleb’s hand slipped and half the papers scattered across the desk, a few falling to the floor. He groaned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh- S-t- Sorry.” The newcomer grimaced, shutting the door gently behind them. “I, uh- Didn’t think that would scare you. Sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, just a couple papers.” Caleb bent down to pick them up, setting them back on the desk in a less neat pile, but that could be taken care of later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat back upright, looking at the newcomer. Their emotions were harder to read than his last patient’s, but he felt the faint gray nervousness of a new patient. He smiled. “You’re… Casey.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They nodded slightly. “Casey Allison. I’m your new patient today? I think I’m late. I’m sorry, I really don’t do this often- Going out, I mean. And talking to people. I’m not really great at talking to people. I don’t know why I’m in therapy, actually, this was a really bad idea.” The gray darkened, fading into a darker blue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, uh, that’s perfectly okay.” This was week three of actually doing this on his own, and he was trying. “You can sit down. It’s fine if you can’t talk that much, or that great. Well.” Use proper English in a professional setting, he reminded himself, practically hearing it in Adam’s voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Casey’s emotion shifted back to gray as they cautiously took a seat on the comfortable couch facing Caleb’s desk. “So, uh.” They fidgeted, pulling the cuffs of their red sweater over their hands. “Do you- Do you know why I’m here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caleb glanced briefly at the papers on his desk, not like he really needed to. He looked back at Casey. “Do you know why you’re here?” he asked, remembering a tactic Joan used with him. He realized that most of what he did were things he remembered Joan doing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I, um.” Casey’s voice got quiet, and Caleb felt their emotions shift again. Pale violet this time. Scared. The kind of scared when you don’t want someone to think badly of you. When you don’t want someone to think you’re crazy. “I think I have... <em>superpowers?”</em> Their voice matched their feelings; small and soft, like they were asking a question rather than answering one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What can you do?” Caleb asked, keeping his voice quiet and gentle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Casey blinked, looking up at him. Confusion pushed over their fear. “You… You <em>believe</em> me? You don’t think I’m- I’m crazy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It probably would have been a dick move to point out that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> been advertising therapy for the strange and unusual (Caleb had never been one for change), so he didn’t do that. He just nodded. “So, what can you do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, uh, right.” They rubbed the back of their neck nervously. “I don’t know,” they admitted, going gray again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caleb frowned slightly. “Why do you think you have superpowers?” he asked them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um. I don’t know?” Casey retracted into their sweater. “It’s just… Weird stuff happens around me, like, a lot? And, um, I heard you… help people… with that kinda stuff. Like. Figuring it out. And stuff.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What kind of weird stuff?” Caleb went back to sorting through the papers, still looking up at them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“People kind of… Do what I tell them to do?” They didn’t seem too sure about it, biting the inside their cheek. “I mean, sometimes? Sometimes I don’t even ask, they just kind of… Do things for me. Like- Like that girl in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Percy Jackson? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Except I don’t have to say anything all the time, but- It’s like that.” When they finished their explanation, they sunk deeper into the couch, darker gray now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, no. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Caleb was fairly sure he knew what their ability was, that was the good news. The bad news was that there was about one person that he knew of that had any idea how it worked. And he would really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>prefer to not have to see him ever again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have superpowers,” he confirmed, pushing down the dread. “Mental manipulation. It’s a really rare one, so I’m not really sure how to… help you with it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Disappointment. Caleb hated feeling disappointment. It was an ugly beige color, and always felt worse every time. It’s why they didn’t have Thanksgiving with Adam’s family anymore, hadn’t since they’d been in college.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He bit the inside of his lip. “But,” he said, with some reluctance. “I know someone else with your ability, and I think he can help. Maybe. Worst case scenario- We ask my friend, who’s had a patient with your ability before.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Casey nodded slightly, and Caleb could tell they didn’t really know what to say. A moment passed silently. “So, um. Should I- Should I leave and, um, wait?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caleb checked the time. They still had almost a full half hour left. “Why don’t you talk about yourself for a bit? It can help me.” And he didn’t want it on record that his first patient of the day left five minutes into their session.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, um, okay.” They seemed weary of talking about themself- and Caleb knew they were.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would it help if I talked first?” he asked. Maybe if they knew he was atypical, too, it would help them relax. He hoped so; It was hard to help when he was feeling this anxious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They nodded slightly, and he thought for a second of what to say. “I’m atypical, too- That’s what it’s called, what you are.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their eyes widened slightly. “Can you do what I can do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caleb almost laughed- almost. “No, few people can. My ability is different- I’m an empath. I can feel other people’s emotions, like I can feel that you’re nervous about this.” They nodded, but the feeling didn’t change. That was good, they took it well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Then it seemed to settle, and their feelings shifted. Excitement this time, a nice yellow color. “Does everyone have powers? Is it fun, or does it kinda suck to feel everything all the time?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now Caleb laughed. Casey was relaxed, that helped him. “Most people don’t have any abilities, but you’d be surprised how many do. My friend, that I mentioned before, she used to do my job. She was a therapist for people like us- Atypicals. She’s not, but she worked for an organization that was all about helping us. I mean, now it’s about helping us, that’s- that’s a long story. She’s one of the directors of the Boston facility now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Organization?” Interest now. “Like- Like</span>
  <em>
    <span> SHIELD? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Do you work for it?” Their excitement and interest mixed, only growing as they seemed to think harder on it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thought for a moment. “It’s actually nothing like </span>
  <em>
    <span>SHIELD, </span>
  </em>
  <span>thinking about it. They’re called The AM. Yeah, I work for them. The facility here is like- a sort of hospital or rehab for atypicals. One of the directors is atypical- She’s a time traveler- and most of the staff have abilities, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Casey was fully relaxed by this point, hugging their legs tight to their torso as they listened intently. “Time traveler? That’s so cool! What other stuff can people do? Is there someone that can- like- go all Hulk?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caleb made a mental note that they seemed to really be into Marvel. He’d ask Adam about reading his comics later, maybe he could use it; He remembered Joan used football to help him before. “Not that I know, but my sister has super strength.” He smiled a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have a sister?” They leaned forward on their knees, their eyes wide. “Is it, like, genetic? I have two little brothers, are they atypical, too?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not always genetic,” Caleb said. “My parents weren’t. My friend- Joan- her brother is. It’s more just chance. So your brothers could be atypical, or one of them could be, you’d have to wait for their ability to manifest. Mine didn’t start until I was fifteen, Alice’s started when she was around sixteen or seventeen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Casey thought for a second. “I think- I think mine started when I was younger… I don’t really remember, but I think it started when I was ten? Um, seven- seven years ago,” they added.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s different for everyone.” Caleb nodded slightly. “So you’ve had it for a while? Has it changed at all or progressed since you first noticed it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They nodded. “At first I had to say things out loud, and it didn’t always work. Now I just… don’t have to say anything? I just… I think that I want something, and then someone will do it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caleb was quiet, thinking, for another second. “Have you been trying to teach yourself how to use it? Since you realized it was something you could do?” he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, uh, I’ve been trying to, um. I’ve been trying to sort of… Change people’s minds? Like, normally, I can just make people do things for me, but once I made my mom say yes to me going out and I was like, oh, hey, I can do that, too. So I’ve been trying to, like, do it more.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s good, that you have a good idea of what you can do. And you’re controlling it well.” Caleb didn’t mention the fact that they’d seemed to progress with their ability so quickly with no help. He didn’t know much about the ability, so he wasn’t sure what the normal pace was, exactly. He glanced back at the clock once. “Do you have anything else you want to talk about? I am qualified to deal with regular mental health things, too, if you need anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Casey shrugged slightly. “I dunno, I mean- Life is good, I guess. Nothing’s really… Going on, or anything. It’s fine.” They weren’t telling the entire truth, Caleb could tell that much.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he didn’t push. “Would it help you if you could ask some more about me?” he asked. “Sometimes it helps build more trust, if you know more about your therapist.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, um. Okay.” They were silent, nervous again. Their eyes moved around the room, landing on a cluster of photos on the desk. “Who are those people in your pictures?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caleb turned to look at the pictures. There were a few of them, one of all of his friends save a couple that hadn’t been able to make it to their wedding. Photos of them- Mark and Owen- were next to the large group photo, so everyone had a picture on the desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s me,” he moved the picture closer so he could point to it, brightening a bit. He wouldn’t pretend he didn’t like talking about his family. “My husband, Adam, then my sister. And Alice’s girlfriend, she’s kind of in the back there. I mentioned Joan, and then that’s her boyfriend, Jackson. Sam- she’s one of the other AM directors- and Chloe, Frank, Rose, Emily, and Oliver. Sam’s wife, Mags, right next to them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are those two set like that?” Casey asked, looking at the photos on the side. Caleb felt a faint sadness and hurried to explain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, they’re not, like. They’re not dead. They couldn’t make it when that picture was taken, but I still wanted photos of them. That’s Joan’s brother, Mark, and her boyfriend, Owen. I think they were both working. Owen is another director, but he usually has more to do than Joan and Sam.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They nodded. “Oh. That’s um, that’s good, then.” They tugged at their sleeves. They kept their focus on the photos, relaxing again as they seemed to be more comfortable. “Is he atypical, too?” they asked. “Um, your husband, I mean.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Caleb shook his head. “Nah. We used to joke that he was, since he attracts, like, so many. Most of our friends are, though. That’s how I met most of them.” He paused for a second, feeling faint curiosity. “Joan had a few other patients, and it’s a long story, but we all got really close. I was in college when she took over as director with Owen and Sam, but they caught me up when I came back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What can they do?” Casey asked. “Your friends? You said most of them were atypical.” They were half-nervous about asking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mark, Joan’s brother, he has a really cool ability. If he’s near another atypical, he can use their ability while he’s near them. Sam’s the time traveler I mentioned, Chloe can read minds- That one is super cool but has gotten me specifically in trouble before so I have a grudge against it. Frank, he lives with Chloe, he has the same ability I do, but that’s a long story. Jackson has super speed, Oliver can transmute stuff, Mags has telekinesis, Rose is a dreamwalker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled as he thought. He hadn’t seen a few of his friends in a while, and he liked talking about them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The conversation lasted a while, longer than Caleb had expected. He was still doing most of the talking, but it wasn’t bad for a first session. It reminded him of how his early sessions went. Casey’s nervousness died back down, which Caleb was thankful for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Casey tapped their legs, their acrylic nails scraping against their bandaged knees. Their eyes moved to the clock on the wall and fixed there. Three minutes left. “Can I, um, can I just go now? I have to catch a bus, and it’s, like, late, so, um.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course. You can schedule your next appointment outside.” He smiled, grateful that he felt more relaxed as Casey grabbed their bag and walked out of the office.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the day went fine. Caleb was mostly distracted the whole day, thankful that the rest of the day was returning patients- Save a pyrokinetic who was surprisingly easy to work with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got his papers into his bag to look over later, picking up his phone as he nudged open the door with his hip. “Hey, I’m on my way home.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Okay.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> He could hear the smile in Adam’s voice. He pictured his husband’s face, bright-eyed and beaming. He smiled, too. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’ll be there in a bit, conferences are taking a little longer than I thought tonight.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are those going?” Caleb asked, holding his phone up with his shoulder as he waved good-bye to his receptionist and walked out of the building.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Adam hummed thoughtfully. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“They’re going okay. You remember that kid I told you about? The senior? He showed up without his parents, I’m in the office with him now trying to get a hold of them. It's been a few minutes longer than we hoped so I'm not sure how this is going to end up going.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit, hope that goes well. I’ll pick up dinner on the way home, then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thank you, you’re the best.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Caleb’s ability didn’t work through the phone, but he knew Adam was happy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiled and got into his car, starting it and pulling onto the road. “I’ll see you at home. Love you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Love you, too. See you.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Adam hung up, and Caleb’s phone pinged right after. He held it away to see a text with just a single green heart emoji from Adam.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled, letting out a soft laugh as he drove home.</span>
</p>
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